Residents press council after months‑long sewer‑billing averaging error; ask for audit and transparency

Residents of several neighborhoods told the Navasota City Council on July 14 they experienced higher sewer bills after the utility department used an incorrect averaging period to compute winter sewer averages. Complainants said the utility used November–December–January rather than the charter‑required December–January–February, producing higher monthly sewer charges for customers. Shannon Neal, a resident of Carmelites, told the council she first raised the issue in April after dozens of neighbors saw unexplained jumps in sewer bills: “We discovered that instead of using the correct averaging months of December, January, and February, which is required by the city charter, the utility department was using November, December, and January instead.” Kyle Zukowski, another resident, said his neighborhood review found the error affected multiple households and that correcting his account saved him about $300 a year. Residents said some were initially told there was no problem until they presented specific bill comparisons; they urged the council to direct staff to audit the billing system, calculate the total overcharge and explain how credits were computed. Speakers said the utility department has begun issuing credits and adjustments by July but criticized the time lag between April notification and July corrections. Council members did not record a formal motion on the subject during the meeting; residents asked for a public, detailed accounting of how many customers were affected and the total dollars credited. The meeting record shows the council received the comments and heard requests for staff action. No formal council action or vote to start a citywide audit appears in the minutes for July 14; residents asked council to ensure the utility has processes to prevent recurrence and to audit both residential and possibly commercial accounts.